Technology

As rumored, Fornite is coming to the Nintendo Switch. In fact, itarriving even earlier than we imagined, available today as a free download from the Nintendo eShop. The addition widens the play field for the titlewildly popular gameplay. The Epic game is currently available on PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and iOS, in addition to the new Nintendo console.

And while cross-platform play has been the key to the battle royale mode, Sonylong been a bit of a stick in the mud on this one. The Xbox One version, for instance, can be played with PC and iOS. Ditto for the PS4 version. But Xbox One and PS4 cross-play is a non-starter.

The Verge noted that the same appears to be the case with the Nintendo Switch version, a fact that TechCrunch has since verified with an Epic spokesperson. &Cross-play and cross progression on Switch work with Xbox One, PC, Mac, and mobile,& the company confirmed.

We&ve also reached out to both Nintendo and Sony on the matter, to see what the hang up is here. Sony certainly appears to be the sticking point on this one, at least from the outside. The company likely sees its own massive sales figures as a competitive advantage here. The PS4 topped 70 million units late last year, and while Microsoft doesn&t release figures for the Xbox One, Sonydevice is the pretty clear frontrunner.

Fortnite, meanwhile, has been a massive success in its own right. In April, it became the biggest free-to-play console game, a number thatonly going to increase with todayaddition of the Switch to the ranks. Later this summer, Android users will also be able to get their hands on the title.

Google today is expanding the capabilities of its Android parental control software, Family Link, to go beyond helping parents better manage their childdevice and app usage. Now, the Family Link app will also help parents learn about what apps they may want to install for their kids, as well. In a new discovery section, Family Link will feature a list of educational apps for children ages six through nine that parents can install with a tap.

The apps are &recommended by teachers,& the section proclaims.

Google explains that it worked with teachers from across the U.S. to come up with this curated list of apps with educational value. The teachers were recruited to rate content based on their expertise in learning and child development, and had a diverse background in terms of things like years of experience, demographics, and locations in the U.S.

The apps must also meet GoogleDesigned for Families (DFF) program requirements.

At launch, the recommended apps come from publishers like MarcoPolo Learning Inc., BrainPOP, Edoki Academy and others, and include those that teach kids about facts and figures, interesting places around the world, and, of course & itGoogle! & the basics of coding, among other things.

There are currently a few dozen recommended apps, but they won&t appear all at once.Instead, Google tells us, the list will refresh on a weekly basis so as not to overwhelm either the parent or child.

Over time, Google plans to add more apps to the feature, including those for other age ranges.

Currently, all the apps are free, but Google may choose to highlight paid apps in the future, a spokesperson says.

Parents can tap on the apps to visit their page on Google Play, and add them directly to their childdevice with a tap on the &Install& button.

The feature is available in the Family Link mobile app for parents in the U.S. for the time being. Google says it will be available in other markets over time.

The recommendations of &nutritious& apps, as Google refers to them in an announcement, comes at a time when major tech companies are paying increased attention to the time spent on devices, and a growing concern among consumers & parents and otherwise & that itnot time well spent.

At Googledeveloper conference in May, the company detailed new Android-based tools for managing and monitoring screen time to promote healthier app and device usage. This includes ways to prevent the phone from distracting or stimulating users, as well as time limits for apps.

These sorts of controls are things parents want for their children, too, which is what Family Link, launched publicly in fall 2017, has provided.

But when even &screen time& itself is being seen as a concern, it makes sense that Google would want to showcase some of the apps that provide something of value.

The feature is launching today on Family Link for Android with iOS support to follow.

Nintendo came out with the big guns for its pre-recorded E3 conference this morning, delivering updates on a couple of veteran franchises while also bringing some new titles to its Switch console.

We didn&t get a ton of big surprises, but what Nintendo showed off was certainly exciting to a lot of fans. The bulk of the presentation was (as expected) devoted to the intimate minutiae of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, which is arriving at the end of the year and will bring the biggest cast to the game ever, with some new characters arriving alongside the entire cast of the series& previous iterations.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Super Mario Party and Fortnite were probably the biggest highlights, but lettake a look at everything they talked about.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

One of the crazier parts of this announcement included the fact that Nintendo has made a redesigned GameCube controller, which will be compatible with the game and will be supporting your old GameCube controller somehow as well, presumably with a dongle.

Available December 7, 2018.

Super Mario Party

Alongside the new gameplay content, Super Mario Party is going to integrate some weird multi-Switch gameplay that will allow users to play together across multiple Switch consoles and merge their screens together.

Available October 5, 2018.

Fortnite

Available now for free download.

Other stuff

In addition to the big-gun trifecta of game announcements, Nintendo also shed some light on other titles coming to the system, which has realistically had a pretty tiny game library since launch.

Fire Emblem Three Houses

Coming spring 2019.

DRAGON BALL FighterZ

Coming 2019.

Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna & The Golden Country

New update available September 14 for Expansion Pass members.

Other titles announced during the Nintendo Direct included Daemon X Machina, Overcooked! 2, Killer Queen Black, Hollow Knight and Octopath Traveler.In terms of the newPokémon titles, LetGo, Pikachu!andLetGo, Eevee!, they will be available November 16 and people will be able to buy a $99.99 combo that includes thePoké Ball Plus controller, as well.

So thatit; no Metroid Prime news, no Animal Crossing for Switch, no other big teases — but therecertainly a good chunk of titles to keep Switch owners excited for a while. We&ll be at E3 checking out some of these new titles this week, so stay tuned for more from us on the ground in Los Angeles.